# Harpoon - Complete Documentation

> Financial planning, time tracking, and invoicing software for agencies and freelancers.

Harpoon helps creative agencies, studios, and freelancers take control of their finances. Unlike traditional invoicing tools, Harpoon focuses on financial forecasting and goal-setting to help businesses achieve profitability.

## Table of Contents

1. [Product Overview](#product-overview)
2. [Pricing Plans](#pricing-plans)
3. [The Harpoon Method](#the-harpoon-method)
4. [Getting Started](#getting-started)
5. [Projects](#projects)
6. [Time Tracking](#time-tracking)
7. [Invoicing](#invoicing)
8. [Expenses](#expenses)
9. [Schedule & Forecasting](#schedule--forecasting)
10. [Online Payments](#online-payments)
11. [Team Management](#team-management)
12. [Support Categories](#support-categories)
13. [Company Information](#company-information)

---

## Product Overview

Harpoon is the next generation time-tracking and billing software for creative teams. It goes beyond traditional tools by not only tracking and recording your financial past, but also helping you plan and predict a profitable future.

### Core Features

- **Financial Goal Setting**: Set yearly revenue goals and track progress in real-time
- **Revenue Forecasting**: Predict future income based on scheduled projects and expected payments
- **Time Tracking**: Track billable hours with built-in timers or manual entry
- **Invoicing**: Create and send professional invoices, accept online payments via Stripe
- **Project Management**: Manage clients, projects, budgets, and team assignments
- **Expense Tracking**: Monitor business expenses, set budgets, and categorize spending
- **Analytics & Reporting**: Comprehensive financial reports, profit/loss metrics, and tax summaries
- **Schedule View**: Visual calendar showing project timelines and revenue forecasts
- **AI Assistant Integration**: Connect Harpoon to Claude, ChatGPT, Cursor, and VS Code to track time, invoice, and run reports by conversation

### What Makes Harpoon Different

Unlike competitors (FreshBooks, Harvest, etc.), Harpoon is built around financial goal-setting. Every feature connects back to helping you achieve your yearly revenue goal. The Schedule view shows collected revenue, expected revenue, and goal progress all in one place.

---

## Pricing Plans

All plans include a 14-day free trial. No credit card required. Prices in USD.

| Plan | Monthly | Yearly (save 21%) | Users | Best For |
|------|---------|-------------------|-------|----------|
| Starter | $9/month | $85/year | 1 user, up to 3 clients | Solo freelancers just getting started |
| Freelancer | $19/month | $180/year | 2 users | Independent freelancers |
| Studio | $39/month | $372/year | 8 users | Small studios and partnerships |
| Agency | $99/month | $936/year | 20+ users | Growing agencies |

Additional users beyond 20 on the Agency plan are $5 per user/month.

### What's Included in All Plans

- Unlimited projects, invoices, and estimates (Starter is limited to 3 clients)
- Time tracking with timers
- Expense tracking
- Financial goal setting
- Revenue forecasting
- Online payments via Stripe
- Reports and analytics
- Email and in-app chat support

### Frequently Asked Questions

**Can I change plans at any time?**
Yes, you can upgrade or downgrade your plan at any time.

**Is there a contract?**
No, Harpoon is month-to-month. Cancel anytime.

**Do you offer annual billing?**
Yes, annual billing saves 21% compared to paying monthly.

**What payment methods do you accept?**
Credit card, processed securely by Stripe.

**Is my data secure?**
Yes. Harpoon uses SSL encryption, daily backups, and secure payment processing via Stripe.

**Do I need to download any software?**
No. Harpoon is hosted and runs in your web browser. An optional Mac desktop app is available for time tracking.

---

## The Harpoon Method

A four-rule framework for managing agency finances:

### Rule 1: Set a Financial Goal

Setting a yearly revenue goal for your business is the first step towards financial stability. Your goal should cover:
- Business expenses (software, rent, insurance, contractors)
- Personal expenses (groceries, housing, transportation)
- Profit margin and savings
- Taxes

**How to calculate your goal:**
1. List all business expense categories and their yearly amounts
2. List all personal expense categories and their yearly amounts
3. Add profit goals (savings, investments, retirement)
4. Sum everything and account for taxes
5. Use the free Yearly Goal Calculator at harpoonapp.com/tools/goal-calculator

### Rule 2: Plan Your Revenue

Work backwards from your yearly goal:
1. Divide yearly goal by 12 for average monthly goal
2. Make monthly goals dynamic based on progress
3. Schedule projects to meet monthly targets
4. Track both collected and expected revenue
5. Fill each month's "bucket" with scheduled work

### Rule 3: Bill Your Clients Intelligently

Choose billing strategies that work for your services:
- **Hourly billing**: For time-and-materials work
- **Fixed fee**: For defined project scopes
- **Retainers**: For ongoing relationships
- **Milestone billing**: For large projects

Set up automated invoicing and payment reminders.

### Rule 4: Control Your Expenses

- Track all business expenses as they occur
- Categorize expenses for tax purposes
- Set monthly expense budgets
- Monitor recurring subscriptions
- Review and optimize regularly

---

## Getting Started

### Typical Workflow in Harpoon

1. **Set a Financial Goal**: Enter your yearly revenue goal during signup
2. **Create Projects**: Group client work into projects with budgets
3. **Track Time**: Use timers or manual entry to log hours
4. **Record Expenses**: Track business costs and project expenses
5. **Create Invoices**: Bill clients for hours, fixed fees, or expenses
6. **Plan & Forecast**: View your Schedule to see revenue projections
7. **Monitor Analytics**: Use the Dashboard and Reports for insights

---

## Projects

A project in Harpoon groups together a client's tracked time, invoices, estimates, expenses, and notes for a single piece of work.

### Project Types

- **Hourly**: Bill for time and materials by the hour
- **Fixed Fee**: Bill a set, flat rate for the entire project
- **Non-Billable**: Internal projects or work not billed to clients

### Project Statuses

- **Proposed**: Still in proposal phase, not yet approved
- **Active**: Approved and in progress
- **On Hold**: Work temporarily suspended
- **Completed**: Work finished (removed from timer menus)
- **Canceled**: Project canceled but data retained
- **Archived**: Hidden from main views but data preserved

### Creating a Project

1. Click the green Create (+) menu
2. Select "Project"
3. Fill in project details:
   - Project Name
   - Project Type (Hourly/Fixed Fee/Non-Billable)
   - Client
   - Status
   - Start and End Dates
   - Budget (hours or fixed amount)
4. Assign team members
5. Set custom task rates if needed
6. Save the project

### Budget Options

- **Hours Budgeted**: For hourly projects
- **Amount Budgeted**: For fixed fee projects
- **Budget Reset**: Auto-reset daily, weekly, or monthly (for retainers)

### Budget Calculator

Harpoon automatically calculates:
- Expected billing amount
- Internal cost (based on team member costs)
- Profit and margin projections

---

## Time Tracking

### Using Timers

1. Go to the Timers screen (app.harpoonapp.com/time-tracking)
2. Create a new timer or use an existing one
3. Enter a description of what you're working on
4. Select the project and task category
5. Click Start to begin tracking
6. Click Pause when done
7. Click "Log Time" to save the entry

**Tip**: You can have multiple timers running for different projects.

### Adding Hours Manually

1. Click "Add Hours Manually" button
2. Fill in the entry form:
   - Date
   - Project
   - Task category
   - Hours
   - Description
3. Save the entry

### Time-Tracking History

View all logged time entries at app.harpoonapp.com/time-tracking/history. You can:
- Filter by date, project, or team member
- Edit or delete entries
- Export data for reporting

### Mac Desktop App

Harpoon for Mac provides menubar timers for quick access.

---

## Invoicing

Invoices in Harpoon are flexible and can bill for hours worked, fixed fees, retainer deposits, expenses, or any custom items.

### Creating an Invoice

1. Click the green Create (+) menu
2. Select "Invoice"
3. Fill in invoice details:
   - Client
   - Project (optional)
   - Invoice ID (auto-increments)
   - Issue Date
   - Payment Due (days or custom date)
   - Subject line
4. Add line items:
   - Item type (Service, Hours, Expense, Deposit, etc.)
   - Description
   - Quantity
   - Unit Price
   - Tax (if applicable)
5. Add recorded hours or expenses from the project
6. Add notes for the client
7. Save as Draft

### Invoice Actions

- **Send**: Email invoice to client
- **Mark as Sent**: Record that invoice was sent manually
- **Add Payment**: Record partial or full payment
- **Download PDF**: Generate PDF version
- **Duplicate**: Create copy for similar billing
- **Delete**: Remove invoice

### Customizing Invoices

Customize invoice appearance in Settings > Invoices & Estimates:
- Upload company logo
- Set branding color
- Configure default payment terms
- Add default notes or terms

### Recurring Invoices

Set up automated recurring invoices for retainer clients:
1. Create a recurring invoice template
2. Set the frequency (weekly, monthly, etc.)
3. Configure auto-send and auto-charge options
4. Harpoon will generate and send invoices automatically

---

## Expenses

### Recording an Expense

1. Click the green Create (+) menu
2. Select "Expense"
3. Fill in expense details:
   - Date
   - Category (for tax purposes)
   - Vendor Name
   - Amount
   - Project (optional, for billable expenses)
   - Description
   - Tax tracking (optional)
   - Receipt attachment (optional)
4. Save the expense

### Expense Categories

Default categories align with typical tax categories. Customize via Settings > Expenses.

### Project Expenses

When you associate an expense with a project:
- It appears on the Project Details screen
- You can add it to a client invoice for reimbursement
- It's included in project profit/loss calculations
- Status tracks as "Billed" or "Unbilled"

### Expense Budgets

Set monthly expense budgets to control spending:
1. Go to Settings > Expenses
2. Set budget amounts by category
3. Monitor spending against budgets on the Dashboard

### Bank Import

Connect your bank account to import expenses automatically via Plaid integration.

---

## Schedule & Forecasting

The Schedule is Harpoon's unique calendar view that shows project timelines and revenue forecasts.

### What the Schedule Shows

- **Project Blocks**: Visual timeline of when projects are scheduled
- **Collected Revenue**: Actual payments received
- **Expected Revenue**: Planned payments from scheduled projects
- **Monthly Goals**: Dynamic monthly revenue targets
- **Goal Progress**: How close you are to yearly goal

### Expected Revenue Tracking

For **Hourly projects**: Unbilled recorded hours count as expected revenue
For **Fixed Fee projects**: Remaining budget counts as expected revenue

### Using the Schedule

1. View your yearly revenue at a glance
2. See which months have room for more work
3. Identify gaps in your schedule
4. Make data-driven decisions about taking on new projects

---

## Online Payments

Harpoon integrates with **Stripe** for online payment collection.

### Setting Up Stripe

1. Create a Stripe account at stripe.com
2. Connect Stripe to Harpoon via Settings > Online Payments
3. Enable online payments on your invoices

### Payment Options

- **Credit/Debit Cards**: All major cards accepted
- **Apple Pay and Google Pay**: Shown on devices that support them; same Stripe fee as a card
- **Link**: Stripe's saved checkout
- **Cash App Pay**: US-dollar invoices from a US-based Stripe account
- **ACH Bank Transfers**: Lower fees for US customers

Cards and wallets are covered by the same "Accept credit & debit cards" setting, so there is nothing extra to turn on. Payments are recorded automatically from Stripe, labeled with the method used (for example "Online Payment (Apple Pay)"). Harpoon charges no transaction fees.

### Payment Features

- Automatic payment receipts
- Real-time payment notifications
- Partial payment support
- Recurring payment automation

---

## Team Management

### Inviting Team Members

1. Go to Settings > Team
2. Click "Invite Team Member"
3. Enter their email address
4. Set their role (Staff, Manager, Admin, Owner)

### Team Roles

- **Staff**: Track time only
- **Manager**: View project financials and team time
- **Admin**: Full access except billing
- **Owner**: Full access including billing

### Team Member Costs

Set internal hourly cost rates for each team member to calculate:
- Project costs
- Profit margins
- Team profitability

---

## Support Categories

Harpoon's support center covers:

- **Getting Started**: Initial setup and workflow overview
- **Dashboard**: Customizing your analytics dashboard
- **Schedule**: Using the calendar and forecasting features
- **Clients**: Managing client records and contacts
- **Projects**: Creating and managing projects
- **Time Tracking**: Using timers and logging hours
- **Invoices**: Creating, sending, and managing invoices
- **Expenses**: Recording and categorizing expenses
- **Teams**: Managing team members and permissions
- **Settings**: Customizing your account
- **Retainers**: Setting up recurring retainer projects
- **Online Payments**: Stripe integration and payment collection
- **Revenue Goals**: Setting and tracking financial goals
- **Emails**: Invoice and notification email settings
- **International Support**: Currency and language options

---

## International Support

### Supported Currencies

Harpoon supports multiple currencies for invoicing. Set your default currency in Settings > Account.

### Online Payments by Country

Stripe online payments are available in:
- United States
- Canada
- United Kingdom
- Australia
- Most of Europe
- Many other countries (check Stripe's availability)

---

## Comparisons

Harpoon competes with several popular tools but differentiates through its focus on financial planning and revenue forecasting for agencies.

### Harpoon vs Harvest

Harvest is a popular time tracking and invoicing tool. Key differences:
- Harpoon offers revenue goal tracking and dynamic revenue forecasting; Harvest does not
- Both offer time tracking, invoicing, expense management, project management, analytics, and online payments
- Harvest's time tracking is more mature; Harpoon adds revenue goal tracking on top of comparable time tracking
- Harvest charges $10.80 per seat/month; Harpoon starts at $9/month with all features included
- Some agencies use both: Harvest for time tracking, Harpoon for revenue planning

**Best for**: Agencies that want revenue goal tracking and dynamic forecasting alongside their time tracking and invoicing.

### Harpoon vs FreshBooks

FreshBooks is a popular accounting and invoicing platform. Key differences:
- Harpoon offers revenue goal tracking and dynamic revenue forecasting; FreshBooks does not
- FreshBooks offers double-entry accounting, tax preparation, and bank reconciliation; Harpoon does not
- Both offer time tracking, invoicing, expense management, project management, analytics, and online payments
- FreshBooks starts at $7.60/month (Lite plan); Harpoon starts at $9/month with all features
- Many agencies use both: FreshBooks for accounting and tax preparation, Harpoon for revenue goal tracking and forecasting

**Best for**: Agencies and freelancers who want revenue goal tracking and dynamic forecasting alongside invoicing and time tracking, without needing full accounting.

### Harpoon vs Toggl Track

Toggl Track is a dedicated time tracking tool. Key differences:
- Harpoon offers revenue goal tracking and dynamic revenue forecasting; Toggl Track does not
- Harpoon includes invoicing, expense management, and online payments; Toggl Track has limited invoicing and no expense management
- Toggl's time tracking is more feature-rich (idle detection, auto-tracking, 100+ integrations); Harpoon covers core time tracking functionality
- Both start at $9/month, but Toggl charges per user and requires add-ons for equivalent functionality

**Best for**: Agencies that want revenue goal tracking, invoicing, and forecasting alongside time tracking in a single platform.

### Harpoon vs QuickBooks

QuickBooks is a powerful, full-featured accounting platform. Key differences:
- Harpoon offers dynamic revenue goal tracking and forecasting; QuickBooks does not
- QuickBooks includes payroll, tax filing, bank reconciliation, and full double-entry accounting; Harpoon does not
- Both offer time tracking, invoicing, expense management, project management, analytics, and online payments
- Harpoon is focused on agency workflows: setting yearly revenue targets, breaking them into dynamic monthly goals, and forecasting whether your project pipeline will get you there
- QuickBooks starts at $15/month (Simple Start); Harpoon starts at $9/month
- Many agencies use both: QuickBooks for accounting, payroll, and taxes; Harpoon for revenue goal tracking and project profitability

**Best for**: Creative agencies and freelancers who want purpose-built revenue goal tracking and project profitability tools without the complexity of full accounting software.

### Harpoon vs HoneyBook

HoneyBook is a client management platform for independent businesses. Key differences:
- Harpoon offers revenue goal tracking and dynamic revenue forecasting; HoneyBook does not
- HoneyBook offers CRM, contracts, proposals, client scheduling, and workflow automations; Harpoon does not
- Harpoon includes time tracking and expense management; HoneyBook does not
- Both offer invoicing, project management, and online payments
- HoneyBook starts at ~$19/month; Harpoon starts at $9/month with all features
- Some businesses use both: HoneyBook for client intake and contracts, Harpoon for financial planning and time tracking

**Best for**: Agencies that want revenue goal tracking and time tracking rather than client management and contracts.

### Harpoon vs Bonsai

Bonsai is a freelancer business management platform. Key differences:
- Harpoon offers revenue goal tracking and dynamic revenue forecasting; Bonsai does not
- Bonsai offers contracts, proposals, tax preparation, and accounting; Harpoon does not
- Both offer time tracking, invoicing, expense management, project management, and online payments
- Bonsai is designed primarily for solo freelancers; Harpoon supports agencies and teams
- Bonsai has a free plan; paid plans start around $25/month. Harpoon starts at $9/month
- Some freelancers use both: Bonsai for contracts and tax prep, Harpoon for revenue forecasting and goal tracking

**Best for**: Freelancers and agencies who want revenue goal tracking and dynamic forecasting alongside time tracking and invoicing.

### Harpoon vs Blinksale

Blinksale is a simple, focused invoicing tool. Key differences:
- Harpoon offers revenue goal tracking, dynamic forecasting, time tracking, expense management, and project management; Blinksale focuses on invoicing only
- Both offer invoicing, online payments, and recurring invoices
- Blinksale is intentionally minimal; Harpoon is a complete financial planning toolkit
- Harpoon starts at $9/month with all features included

**Best for**: Agencies and freelancers who need more than just invoicing — time tracking, expense management, financial planning, and revenue forecasting in one tool.

### Harpoon vs Wave

Wave is a free accounting and invoicing platform. Key differences:
- Harpoon offers revenue goal tracking, dynamic forecasting, time tracking, and project management; Wave does not
- Wave offers free double-entry accounting, receipt scanning, and payroll (paid add-on); Harpoon does not
- Both offer invoicing, expense management, reporting, and online payments
- Wave is free for core features; Harpoon starts at $9/month with all features
- Some freelancers use both: Wave for accounting and tax prep, Harpoon for revenue goal tracking and time tracking

**Best for**: Agencies and freelancers who need revenue goal tracking, time tracking, and financial forecasting beyond what free accounting tools offer.

### Harpoon vs Xero

Xero is a full-featured accounting platform popular worldwide. Key differences:
- Harpoon offers dynamic revenue goal tracking and forecasting; Xero does not
- Xero includes payroll, tax filing, bank reconciliation, and full double-entry accounting; Harpoon does not
- Both offer time tracking, invoicing, expense management, project management, analytics, and online payments
- Harpoon is focused on agency workflows: setting yearly revenue targets, breaking them into dynamic monthly goals, and forecasting whether your project pipeline will get you there
- Xero starts at ~$15/month; Harpoon starts at $9/month
- Many agencies use both: Xero for accounting, payroll, and taxes; Harpoon for revenue goal tracking and project profitability

**Best for**: Agencies and freelancers who want purpose-built revenue goal tracking and project profitability tools without full accounting complexity.

### Harpoon vs Paymo

Paymo is a project management and time tracking platform for teams. Key differences:
- Harpoon offers revenue goal tracking and dynamic revenue forecasting; Paymo does not
- Paymo offers Gantt charts, Kanban boards, and resource scheduling; Harpoon does not
- Harpoon includes expense management; Paymo does not
- Both offer time tracking, invoicing, project management, and online payments
- Paymo has a free plan; paid plans start around $5.9/user/month. Harpoon starts at $9/month flat
- Some agencies use both: Paymo for detailed task management, Harpoon for financial planning and forecasting

**Best for**: Agencies that want revenue goal tracking and financial forecasting alongside time tracking, rather than advanced project management features.

---

## Company Information

- **Originally founded by**: Ryan Gilbert and Andy Johnson
- **Owner**: FlexBillPro LLC, which acquired Harpoon in 2024 when the founders retired from Harpoon, with the goal of carrying their vision forward
- **Run by**: Sam and Brian
- **Website**: https://harpoonapp.com
- **App**: https://app.harpoonapp.com
- **Contact**: hello@harpoonapp.com
- **Twitter**: @harpoonapp
- **Support**: https://harpoonapp.com/support

### Key URLs

| Page | URL |
|------|-----|
| Homepage | https://harpoonapp.com/ |
| Features | https://harpoonapp.com/features |
| Financial Planning | https://harpoonapp.com/features/planning |
| Invoicing | https://harpoonapp.com/features/invoicing |
| Time Tracking | https://harpoonapp.com/features/time-tracking |
| Projects | https://harpoonapp.com/features/projects |
| Expenses | https://harpoonapp.com/features/expenses |
| Analytics | https://harpoonapp.com/features/analytics |
| Compare | https://harpoonapp.com/compare |
| Harpoon vs Harvest | https://harpoonapp.com/compare/harpoon-vs-harvest |
| Harpoon vs FreshBooks | https://harpoonapp.com/compare/harpoon-vs-freshbooks |
| Harpoon vs Toggl Track | https://harpoonapp.com/compare/harpoon-vs-toggl |
| Harpoon vs QuickBooks | https://harpoonapp.com/compare/harpoon-vs-quickbooks |
| Harpoon vs HoneyBook | https://harpoonapp.com/compare/harpoon-vs-honeybook |
| Harpoon vs Bonsai | https://harpoonapp.com/compare/harpoon-vs-bonsai |
| Harpoon vs Blinksale | https://harpoonapp.com/compare/harpoon-vs-blinksale |
| Harpoon vs Wave | https://harpoonapp.com/compare/harpoon-vs-wave |
| Harpoon vs Xero | https://harpoonapp.com/compare/harpoon-vs-xero |
| Harpoon vs Paymo | https://harpoonapp.com/compare/harpoon-vs-paymo |
| Pricing | https://harpoonapp.com/pricing |
| How It Works | https://harpoonapp.com/how-it-works |
| The Harpoon Method | https://harpoonapp.com/method/rule-one |
| Support Center | https://harpoonapp.com/support |
| Blog | https://harpoonapp.com/blog |
| Goal Calculator | https://harpoonapp.com/tools/goal-calculator |
| Sign Up | https://app.harpoonapp.com/register |
| Login | https://app.harpoonapp.com/login |
| API | https://app.harpoonapp.com/api |

---

## Integrations

- **Stripe**: Accept online invoice payments by credit card or ACH bank transfer
- **Slack**: Receive notifications for invoice and estimate events (sent, viewed, paid)
- **Zapier**: Connect Harpoon to hundreds of other apps and automate workflows
- **Harpoon API**: Build custom integrations (https://app.harpoonapp.com/api)
- **AI assistants**: Claude, ChatGPT, Cursor, and VS Code (see below)

---

## What's New: The Rebuilt Interface (August 2026)

Harpoon shipped a rebuilt interface in August 2026. Highlights:

- **Navigation**: Dashboard, schedule, projects, time, clients, invoices, expenses, and reports sit in a sidebar in the same place on every screen.
- **Dashboard**: Built from widgets you can reorder or remove.
- **Invoices**: Open onto a chart of monthly revenue with filters for client, project, date, and status.
- **Timers**: Stack in one list, each with its own client, project, and task.
- **Performance**: The busiest screens are noticeably faster, especially on large accounts.
- **Themes**: Light, dark, snow, and automatic (follows the operating system setting).
- **Mobile**: Built to work at phone width.
- **AI assistant integration**: Harpoon connects to AI assistants including Claude, ChatGPT, Cursor, and VS Code, exposing 69 tools. You can start and stop timers, create an invoice, record a payment, turn an accepted estimate into an invoice, and run reports (profit and loss, tax summaries, accounts aging, timesheets). Everything stays scoped to your team and your role's permissions.

Existing users can switch from their account; the new interface is not yet the default. Full post: https://harpoonapp.com/blog/we-rebuilt-harpoon

---

## Target Audience

Harpoon is ideal for:

- Freelance designers and developers
- Creative agencies and studios
- Marketing consultants and strategists
- Independent contractors
- Small service-based businesses
- Web development shops
- Branding and design firms
- Photography and videography businesses
- Writing and content creation services

---

*Last updated: September 2026*
*For the latest information, visit https://harpoonapp.com*